Refrigeration systems include a number of components, including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a thermal expansion valve and a refrigerant reservoir for storing pressurized liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser. A liquid coolant such as a water/glycol mixture may be circulated through the condenser and the evaporator, removing heat from the pressurized refrigerant in the condenser, and transferring heat to the expanding refrigerant in the evaporator. The heated coolant from the condenser may then be passed through a heat exchanger to release heat to the environment, and the chilled coolant from the evaporator may be used for cooling another fluid or a heat-producing component. For example, such refrigeration systems can be used for production of chilled air in an air conditioning system, or for cooling of heat-producing components such as batteries.
The components of refrigeration systems are typically provided as separate components, and the coolant and refrigerant connections between the various components are provided by tubes or hoses. In many applications, such as in vehicular systems, these components must all fit within a finite space. Therefore, in order to save space, reduce cost, and simplify the complex nature of these systems, it would be desirable to integrate two or more components of such air conditioning systems into a compact package. Integration also provides more direct connections between the components, which can reduce the number of fluid connections within the system to reduce the number of leak points between components, and to minimize the overall volume of refrigerant contained in the system.